XLVII. [BK. III. xlv.]

RETIREMENT

FAR from the world, O LORD, I flee,
From strife and tumult far;
From scenes, where Satan wages still
His most successful war.

The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With pray'r and praise agree;

And seem by thy sweet bounty made,
For those who follow thee.

There if thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode;

Oh with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her GOD!

There like the nightingale she pours

Her solitary lays;

Nor asks a witness of her song,

Nor thirsts for human praise.

Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet source of light divine;
And (all harmonious names in one)
My Saviour; thou art mine!

What thanks I owe thee, and what love
A boundless, endless store;

Shall echo thro' the realms above,

When time shall be no more.

XLVIII. [BK. III. xlvii.]

THE HIDDEN LIFE

To tell the Saviour all my wants,
How pleasing is the task!

Nor less to praise him when he grants
Beyond what I can ask.

My lab'ring spirit vainly seeks
To tell but half the joy;

With how much tenderness he speaks,
And helps me to reply.

Nor were it wise, nor should I choose
Such secrets to declare;

Like precious wines their taste they lose
Expos'd to open air.

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Adorn'd with glory from on high,
Salvation shines upon his face;
His robe is of th' etherial dye,
His steps are dignity and grace.
Inferior honours he disdains,

Nor stoops to take applause from earth;
The King of kings himself, maintains
Th' expenses of his heav'nly birth.
The noblest creature seen below,
Ordain'd to fill a throne above;
GOD gives him all he can bestow,
His kingdom of eternal love!

My soul is ravish'd at the thought!
Methinks from earth I see him rise;
Angels congratulate his lot,

And shout him welcome to the skies!

LII. [BK. III. li.]

LIVELY HOPE, AND GRACIOUS FEAR

I WAS a groveling creature once,
And basely cleav'd to earth;

I wanted spirit to renounce

The clod that gave me birth.
But God has breath'd upon a worm,
And sent me, from above,
Wings, such as clothe an angel's form,.
The wings of joy and love.

With these to Pisgah's top I fly,
And there delighted stand;
To view, beneath a shining sky,
The spacious promis'd land.

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Yet GOD the same abiding,

His praise shall tune my voice; For while in him confiding,

I cannot but rejoice.

L. [BK. III. xlix.]

TRUE PLEASURES

LORD, my soul with pleasure springs,
When JESUS' name I hear;
And when God the Spirit brings

The word of promise near:
Beauties too, in holiness,

Still delighted I perceive;

Nor have words that can express

The joys thy precepts give.

Cloth'd in sanctity and grace,

How sweet it is to see

Those who love thee as they pass,

Or when they wait on thee: Pleasant too, to sit and tell What we owe to love divine;

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Till our grateful bosoms swell,

And eyes begin to shine.

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Those the comforts I possess,

Which GOD shall still increase';
All his ways are pleasantness,
And all his paths are peace :
Nothing JESUs did or spoke,
Henceforth let me ever slight;
For I love his easy yoke2,
And find his burden light.

LI. [BK. III. 1.]

THE CHRISTIAN

HONOUR and happiness unite

To make the Christian's name a praise;
How fair the scene, how clear the light,
That fills the remnant of his days!

A kingly character he bears,
No change his priestly office knows;
Unfading is the crown he wears,
His joys can never reach a close.

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Adorn'd with glory from on high,
Salvation shines upon his face;
His robe is of th' etherial dye,
His steps are dignity and grace.
Inferior honours he disdains,

Nor stoops to take applause from earth;
The King of kings himself, maintains
Th' expenses of his heav'nly birth.
The noblest creature seen below,
Ordain'd to fill a throne above;
GOD gives him all he can bestow,
His kingdom of eternal love!

My soul is ravish'd at the thought!
Methinks from earth I see him rise;
Angels congratulate his lot,

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And shout him welcome to the skies!

LII. [BK. III. li.]

LIVELY HOPE, AND GRACIOUS FEAR

I WAS a groveling creature once,
And basely cleav'd to earth;

I wanted spirit to renounce
The clod that gave me birth.

But God has breath'd upon a worm,
And sent me, from above,

Wings, such as clothe an angel's form,.
The wings of joy and love.

With these to Pisgah's top I fly,
And there delighted stand;
To view, beneath a shining sky,
The spacious promis'd land.

The LORD of all the vast domain,
Has promis'd it to me;

The length and breadth of all the plain,
As far as faith can see.

How glorious is my privilege!
To thee for help I call;

I stand upon a mountain's edge,
Oh save me, lest I fall!

Tho' much exalted in the LORD,

My strength is not my own;
Then let me tremble at his word,
And none shall cast me down.

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Where, I said in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the LORD my friend?

Friends and ministers said much
The gospel to enforce;
But my blindness still was such,
I chose a legal course:

Much I fasted, watch'd and strove,
Scarce would shew my face abroad,
Fear'd, almost, to speak or move,
A stranger still to God.

Thus afraid to trust his grace,
Long time did I rebel;

Till, despairing of my case,

Down at his feet I fell :

Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdu'd me to his sway;

By a simple word he spoke,

"Thy sins are done away.'

LVII. [BK. III. lxiv.]

HATRED OF SIN

HOLY LORD GOD! I love thy truth,
Nor dare thy least commandment slight·
Yet pierc'd by sin, the serpent's tooth,
I mourn the anguish of the bite.

But tho' the poison lurks within,
Hope bids me still with patience wait;
Till death shall set me free from sin,
Free from the only thing I hate.

Had I a throne above the rest,
Where angels and archangels dwell;
One sin, unslain, within my breast,

Would make that heav'n as dark as hell.

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The pris'ner, sent to breathe fresh air,
And bless'd with liberty again,

Would mourn, were he condemn'd to wear
One link of all his former chain.

But oh! no foe invades the bliss,

When glory crowns the Christian's head;
One view of JESUS as he is,

Will strike all sin for ever dead.

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